New Google And Yahoo Features For Local Business Listings

Google has made some adjustments to it’s “Place Pages.” As Doug Caverly reported, they are now showing more specific details for reviews. They are letting people rate individual aspects of businesses.

Another update that Google made is the addition of verification to the Place Page. Google is letting users know when owners have verified their Place Pages. If it is verified, there is now a link with a checkmark beside it at the top of the page that says “owner-verified listing.”

If the listing has not been verified, users are now greeted with links that say “Edit the place,” or “Business Owner?”. The latter give you an opportunity to verify the listing if you are indeed the business owner. The former lets users make edits to the page. Obviously, you’re going to want to verify your listing to prevent any reputation-tarnishing information from appearing.

Google isn’t the only search engine that has recently made upgrades to its local business results. Yahoo has also done so. The company announced this week that it is now allowing users to find nearby places without having to give too many details.

“For example, if you are in the Palo Alto area and search for ‘evvia,’ Yahoo! Search displays the local shortcut for the restaurant, including address, phone number, and reviews,” says Nitzan Achsaf, a senior product manager at Yahoo.

You can also do this for broader categories. Users can now filter results further by neighborhood or nearby cities in one click.

It is growing increasingly important to pay close attention to changes in the local search landscape. Read this article for some tips to keep in mind.